Centrifugal apparatus.



W. L. DOLIER & H. H. STEPHENS.

GBNTRIFUGAL APPARATUS. APPLIOATION'FILED DEo.23,1911.

l y l 99 l 7 a Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

y fig] MM2/imm wf/mm I y f j! E $124@ @WHO/meg smarns W WILLIAM L. DOLIER AND HARRY H. STEPHENS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GE'NTItIFUGAL APPARATUS.

Application filed December 23, 1911.

Our invention resides in a centrifugal machine which is adapted to run at particularly high speeds, considering the size of the machine, for the separation of solids or semisolids and the like from sugar solutions, Syrups, varnish, or other viscous fluids, or for any centrifugal separation where exces. sively high speeds are necessary, as where the material to be separated from the body` of the solution is of only relatively slightly dierent specific gravity, or is nely divided and in suspension in the liquor.

It is one of the characteristic features of our invention that there are provided within Se the rotating centrifugal drum a plurality of centrifugal drums, with spaces betweenV them, the material undertreatment passing, not through these walls of the drums, but passing upwardly or downwardly over the edges thereof into the next space.

' yUur invention resides also in the features hereinafter described and claimed.

` For an illustration of one of the forms our invention may take, reference is to be had to e0 the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical half sectional view, and half elevational view, of one form our machine may take. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View, on larger scale, showing part of the same sectional view of the drum or basket shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal sectional View taken on the line A-A of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line B--Bof to Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a suitable sup-v port 1, itself supported upon I-beams or any other suitable su port, nnot shown-,J carries the bracket o1 yo e member 2 tlirou'gh the medium of the rods 3, preferably three or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lFeb. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 667,500.

more in number, which have freedom of motion due to the spherical'bearing members 4 and 5 with both the support 1 and with the bracket or yoke 2. When. thel centrifugal apparatus gyrates, while'in operation, the same may tilt or incline slightly with respect to the support l, due to the yielding of these supportmg rods 3. Upon the upper end of the bracket or yoke 2 is secured by bolts 6 the curb 7 having the internal upturned lip or flange 8 and carrying at its top the cover 9 having thev axial receiving funnel or spout 10. The rotating shaft 11 of the centrifugal apparatus has secured thereon the sleeve 12 which has a vertical ball bearing 13 and a lateral ball bearing 14 upon the member 15 carried at the lower end 16 of the yoke or bracket 2. The vertical bearing 13 carries the weight of the shaft and its attached parts, and the lateral bearing 14 takes up lateral strains in the shaft as does also the lateral ball bearing 17 intervening between the sleeve 18 upon the shaft 11 and the statlonary member of the ball bearing, the latter supported by the inwardly extending arms 19 upon the yoke or bracket 2. At the lower end of the shaft 11 is secured the rotor 20 of any suitable type of motor, here shown as the rotor of a steam turbine, disposed within the stationary casingl 21 sup ported upon the part 16 of the bracket y2'by the extension 22. Steam is led to a suitable nozzle or nozzles by a flexible hose, not shown.

In operation, the steam turbine drives the shaft 11 and gyrates with the shaft llfin fixed relationV thereto, all parts gyrating upon the swinging or supporting bolts 3. At its upper end the shaft 11 enters a bore 1n the bottom member 23 of the centrifugal drum or basket. The shaft 11 has a fiange or ears 24 through which pass bolts 25 securlng the same rigidly to the bottom mem# ber 23 for driving the same and the attached .The centrifugal basket yor drum proper 1s shown at 26 and is cylindrical, and 1s made o f materials of high tensile strength, for example, nickel-steel. The

bottom member 23 is made of some such v the outer flange upon the member 23, this outer iiange 29 having its lower edgepartially embraced by the lip or iange '30 upon the member 26. The result is that the great pressures developed within the'drum rprevent the shearing of the bolts 28, the strain being taken by this flange or'lip 30 on the drum 26. vThe drum 26 has a cover 31 preferably also of high tensile strength material, such as nickel-steel, the cover 31 resting upon the top -edge of the drum 26 and held thereto by the ring nut 32 screw,- threaded'lupon the drum 26, the nut 32 being also preferably of high tensile strength material, such as nickel-steel. Across the horizontal joint between the cover 31 and the drum 26 extends a packing or gasket 33 from which a plurality of perforations through theacover 31 extend into the interior thereof, so that the fluid under high pressure within the drum exerts an outward pressure upon the material 33 to more tightly 'close the joint. At its inner edge the cover3l carries the member 34 having discharge orifices 35 through which material is discharged into the relatively stationary passage or chamber 36 delivering to the discharge spout 37 The member 34 has a funnel or spout portion 38 surrounding the intake spout or funnel 10, whereby any overflow of the material just delivered into the drum passes over the edge of the funnel 38 into the chamber 39 and thence discharges through the spout 40. vIn the bottom of the drum is provided a mud pan 41` and on the bottom of the mud pan 41 rests a plurality of vanes 42, integral Vwith or secured upon the member 43 forming an'inner chamber. With their bottoms` or lower vedges resting upon the top side of the horizontal portion yoit' the member 43 are a plurality 'of drums Attached to the drums 44, or otherwise suitably supported, are the vanes 45 extend: ing across the annular spaces between the ldrums and in the annular space between the outer drum 44 and the drum 26. The outer drum 44 has perorations 46 for allowing egress of material into the outer annular space. 'And the inner wall of the outer drum 44'may be covered withA a sheet orl layer of filter material 47. From the space within the' member 43 .q'ommunication to the space between the/outer su face of the member 43 and the inner 'wall f the inner drum 44 is aiiorded by the holes or perforations 48. The drums 44 rest inside of lugs or ribs 49,

upon-the upper side of the horizontal portion of the member 43. These ribs or lugs are not circumferentially continuous, but allow a free space under the edge of alternate drums for passage of fluid from the space on one side of the drum to the space on the other side by passing around the lower edges of the drums.v The other alternate drums have similar passages around their upper edges, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, the corresponding lugs-or ribs 49 being provided on the member 50 engagingat its inner edge upon the vertically-faced boss 51 on the member 43, and resting upon the top edges of one or more of the drums 44. Upon the top side of the member 50 are provided a plurality of vanes 52 extending up to the under side of the cover or lid 31. The course of the Huid is indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation is as follows: The steam turbine is started by placing the same in communication with a source of steam pressure and the shaft 11 is rotated together with all parts attached thereto, including the member 23, drum 26 and the parts attached thereto and contained within the drum. The speed is particularly high for certain separations, and in the case of a drum of a diameter of 36 inches, for example, the speed is 2,000 revolutions per minute, approximately. The raw liquor is delivered into the interior of the drum through the funnel 10 into the spaceinside of the member 43. The vanes 42 cause the liquor to revolve with the drum with a minimum of slippage or eddying. The liquor then passes up through the .perforations 48 into the space,between the inner drum 44 and the outer wall of the member 43, the vanes 45 here' again causing the liquor to rotate with the drum with a minimum of slippage and' eddying. rIhe liquor then passes over the top edge of the inner drum 44, see Fig. 2, into the space between the inner drum 44 and the next drum 44. The liquor then passes around the lower edge of the second drum 44 into the space between it and the nextouter drum, thence over the top edge of the next outer drum 44, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2,into the space' inside of the outer drum 44. Liquor then passes through the filtering medium 47, if employed, and thence through the perforations 46 into the space between the outer drum 44 .and the inner side of the drum 26. It then withstanding the fact that in the parts of the apparatus at a greater distance from the center of the shaft, the liquid pressures are extremely high. The vanes 45 transfer strains to outer drum and prevent slippage or eddying, as described above. The vanes 52 also reduce the velocity of discharge evenly and increase the discharge output.

On the inner side of the curb 7 may be provided a plurality of vertically disposed rollers 53 at a 'plurality of points around the inner circumference of the member 7, these rollers being placed quite close to the outer surface of the drum-26 so that' in case of breakage of shaft l1 or severe ilexure the drum will bear upon Yand roll upon these rollers 53.

By the construction hereinbefore de.

scribed, the liquor does not flow through the drums 44 in succession, but passes upwardly and downwardly in the spaces between them and over their edges into the next spaces. Furthermore, it is apparfnt from the hereinbefore described apparatus that the turbine or motor has no bearings and that-both the stationary and rotating elements of the turbine gyrate with the shaft and all attached parts.-

By varying the number of drums 44, the length of path of liquor flow may be made long or short 4to suit conditions, such as different kinds of liquors, or liquors having different amounts and natures of materials in suspension. The drums 44 may take the form of cones alternately pitched with respect tothe direction of flow of the liquor to aid the movement orcirculation of the li uor'.

hat we claim is:

1. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an axial member forming an axial receiving chamber, one or more drums intervening between said axial member and said first named drum, and resting upon a horizontal portion of said axial member, a member eX- tending from said axial member `across the tops of said intervening drum or drums and forming closed joints therewith at their tops, and means for causing liquor to iow in succession through the spaces between said drums backwardly and forwardly longitudinally'of the axis of said drum.

2. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an vinner member movable with said drum, one or more drums intervening between said inner member and said first named drum, means including a member extending across the top Aor tops of said intervening drum or drums, for causin wardly vand forwar ly longitudinally of the axis of said` drum through the spaces between said drums, a cover for said first named drum, a discharge passage formed between said member and said cover, and a vane in said discharge passage.

liquor to pass back- 3. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an inner member movable with said drum, means for delivering liquor to the inside of said member, one or more drums intervening between said inside member and said firstnamed drum, means for causin all the liquor to pass in succession from within said vinside memberbackwardly and forwardly 'longitudinally of the axis of rotation .terial to pass. from within said inside member backwardly and forwardly longitudinally of the axis of rotation through the v spaces between said drums, and vanes inside of said inside member.-

5. In combination, acentrifugal drum, an inner member movable with said drum, means for delivering material to the inside of said member, one or more drums intervening between said inside member and said first-named drum, means, for causing material to pass from within' said inside member backwardly and forwardly longitudinally, of the axis of rotation through the spaces between said drums, and vanes in the spaces between said-drumsl n 6. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an inner member rotatable with said drum, a plurality of centrifugal drums intervening between said insidemember and said first named drum, said inside member having a lower horizontal portion on which said intermediate drums rest, a top member engaging the tops of all said intermediate drums, alternate intermediate drums having passages across their tops andthe other intermediate drums having passages across their bottoms, said inside member having a perforation communicating with the inside of the intermediate drum of least diameter, whereby all the liquor passes between all said drums in succession, and a passage from the space between. said first named drum and the outer intermediate drum communicating with the space above saidto member, and a vane in the space above sai to member. l

g. In-combination, a centrifugal drum, an inner member movable' with said drum, means for delivering material to the inside of said member, one' or more drums intervening between said inside member and said Erst-named drum, means for causing material to pass from within said inside member backwardly and forwardly longitudinelly of the axis of rotation through the spaces between said drums, members extending across the tops and bottoms of said intermediate drums, and vanes above the member extending across the tops of said drums.

8. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an inner member movable with said drum, means for delivering liquor Yto the inside of said member, one or more drums intervening between. said inside member and said first-named drum, a vane in the space between the inner drum and said innerv member, members making closed joints at the tops and bottoms of said intermediate drum or drums, said member making closed joints at the bottoms of said drums having apertures forming passages from within said inner memberinto the space between the same and the inner drum, means providingpassages around-the top' and bottom edges of said drums, alternate drums having said passages at their tops, and the other drums' having said passages at their bottoms, whereby yall the liquor' passes through all spaces in succession.

9. In combination, a centrifugal drum, means for delivering liquor into said drum, a plurality of members within said drum, means for causing the liquor to passbackwardly and forwardly longitudinally of the axis of said drum through the spaces between said members, a single discharge path for all the liquor, and a vane in said discharge' path.

10. In combination, a centrifugal drum, an inner member having a horizontally eX- tending bottom portion, vanes on which said linner member rests, one or more drums resting upon said bottom portion, a liquor passage through said bottom portion into the space between said inner member'and the next drum, and means for causing the liquor to pass in succession backwardly and forwardly through all the spaces between drums. i

11. In combination, a centrlfugal drum, an inner conical member increasing in diameter downwardly, vanes within said membei', one or more drums intervening between said inner memberl and said first named drum, means for passing liquor in succession backwardly and forwardly through all the spaces between drums, and a pan beneath said inner member and said interven ing drums.

n testimony whereof we have hereunto aiiixed our signatures at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 22nd day of December, 19115 in the presence of the two subscribing witllQSSeS.

WILLIAM L. DOLIER. HARRY H. STEPHENS. Witnesses:

HERBERT C. SMITH, ANNA E. STEINBOCK. 

